Your Friday Briefing – The New York Times

Theresa May to set timetable for stepping down

After months of shrugging off parliamentary defeats, negotiating failures and calls from her own lawmakers to resign, Prime Minister Theresa May of Britain promised to set a date to step down as the country’s leader.

Mrs. May made the agreement after a lengthy meeting with senior lawmakers in her governing Conservative Party on Thursday, according to a party statement. It said she would act after another parliamentary vote on her plan to remove Britain from the European Union.

What’s next: The statement has intensified jostling among her rivals. Boris Johnson said he would run for prime minister when the post becomes available.

War with Iran? ‘I hope not.’

Twice this week, President Trump has made clear that he does not want to go to war with Iran, pushing back against two of his most hawkish aides — the national security adviser, John Bolton, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo — who have been at the vanguard of rising tensions.

On Wednesday, during a morning meeting in the White House Situation Room, Mr. Trump told his acting defense secretary, Patrick Shanahan, he did not want war, according to several administration officials. Mr. Trump repeated the sentiment on Thursday, during a visit by the Swiss president, Ueli Maurer.

U.S. intelligence: Three officials told our reporters that it was photos of missiles on small boats in the Persian Gulf that raised U.S. concerns about rising threats from Iran. The idea is that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps could fire the missiles at U.S. ships.

Reaction: The White House, the Pentagon, the C.I.A. and America’s allies are divided over how seriously to take the intelligence. Those in the Middle East are watching with “a mixture of disdain and weary exasperation,” our correspondent in Cairo writes.

Our toothbrushes are littering the ocean

The ocean’s plastic problem is twofold: There’s a lot of it — the study’s authors estimate that there are more pieces of plastic in the ocean than there are stars in the Milky Way — and it kills marine life.

By the numbers: Single-use plastics made up roughly 25 percent of the material the researchers found. But some 60 percent were microplastics, or bits that break off when a piece of plastic is buffeted.

If you’re following the Indian elections …

The bellwethers

Shortly after voting in India comes to a close on Sunday, the curtain will inch up the last act of the largest election in history.

The official results won’t be announced until next Thursday, but local news media will immediately begin to talk about the exit polls conducted over the weeks of voting.

Expect lots of predictions. And here are a few things to look out for in the tangle of headlines.

First, watch for results from Valsad, Gujarat, and West Delhi. These two constituencies have voted for the overall winner in every election since 1977, according to “The Verdict: Decoding India’s Elections.”

“Interestingly, there is not one bellwether constituency among the southern states of India,” write the co-authors, Prannoy Roy and Dorab Sopariwala. That exemplifies the south’s political difference from the rest of the country.

Here’s what else is happening

Australia: Bill Shorten, Labor’s front-runner to become prime minister after Saturday’s elections, sees trade with China as crucial to fulfilling his economic promises. Critics fear he could make concessions that increase China’s sway.

Snapshot: Above,Thich Nhat Hanh receiving visitors in Hue, Vietnam, in March. After living in exile for more than five decades and suffering the effects of a major stroke, the Zen Buddhist monk, 92,has quietly returned to his home temple to end his days.

U.S. presidential race: Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York announced his candidacy, becoming the 23rd Democrat to enter the race. He faces major deficits in polls and fund-raising, and the daunting fact that the country has never lifted a sitting mayor to the presidency.

Bob Hawke: Australia’s popular prime minister from 1983 to 1991 has died at the age of 89. He presided over wrenching changes that integrated his nation into the global economy and strengthened ties with Asia and America.

No joke:A China dog breeder was arrested after posting on social media that he had named his lazy, thieving animals after local police officials — City Officer and Traffic Warden.

What we’re reading: This book review in The Atlantic. “Laura Shapiro, a respected food historian and advocate of home cooking who believes cake mixes should be treated like controlled substances, discusses a shocking idea,” writes our national food correspondent, Kim Severson. “It might be time to jettison a long-held belief that the best way to counter the food industry is to actually cook meals from scratch.”

Smarter Living: There are easy ways to green your housecleaning.In the U.S., you can look for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Safer Choice label, and other countries may have similar signals of safe ingredients and sustainable production and packaging. Or make your own cleaners. A spray bottle of vinegar and water can take care of most of the house, and for the shower, mix baking soda, hydrogen peroxide and liquid soap. And biodegradable sponges can replace disposables.

The bicycle has become the most popular personal transport in the world. Estimates of the number of bikes in use around the globe run upward of two billion.

That’s it for this briefing. See you next time.

— Katie

Thank youTo Mark Josephson, Eleanor Stanford, Chris Harcum and Kenneth R. Rosen for the break from the news. You can reach the team at briefing@nytimes.com.

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